Hazards of the Job
by Remotekit
Summary: An akuma attack reveals Ladybug's identity to her class.
1. Chapter 1

Miss Bustier's class was unfocused. Many students were struggling to stay awake while others had given up listening completely, opting instead to talk quietly to each other.

Marinette stared blankly ahead, an absent grin on her face as she daydreamed about her future with Adrien. Next to her, Alya was skimming through the news with her phone hidden under her desk.

An alert sounded on her phone, causing Alya to gasp and shove the phone into Marinette's face. Jumping at the sudden appearance of something in her peripheral, Marinette looked over at her friend in annoyance.

"Look at this!" Alya whispered excitedly. "There's an akuma just a few blocks from the school." Her not so quiet comment drew the attention of the students closest to her, and soon the whole class was gathered around to watch the live news report. Whispers quickly rose up amongst them.

The footage showed the location of the attack being close by to the school. It then cut to a monstrous looking akuma picking up a car and throwing it into a nearby building. Glass littered the pavement, causing citizens to flee from the scene. Several police officers were helping to evacuate the remaining citizens from the area.

"Everyone, get back to your seats please," Miss Bustier called from the front of the room.

"But Miss Bustier," Alya said, "there's an akuma, and it's only a few streets away." She pointed in the general direction of the news sighting.

Miss Bustier frowned and walked over to the window. She saw no sign of the akuma but it did not put her at ease. "Well, I think that's all the more reason for everyone to go back to their seats."

Most students didn't listen to her although she made several attempts to regain order. Most of the students were loudly gossiping about the akuma at this point. Ladybug was nowhere to be found and the akuma could now be heard in the distance. Everyone was growing more tense as the minutes passed.

Alya continued to argue her point, and a group of students had crowded around the window to watch for signs of the akuma. Marinette used the chaos to sneak out the classroom unnoticed, running to a deserted area before transforming.

Nino was trying to ask Adrien his opinion on the akuma but only got half-hearted responses. He was more focused on listening to the live-stream for any sign of Ladybug's arrival. Adrien was getting anxious to leave and fight the akuma, so when Miss Bustier's back was turned, he got up and started towards the door. Unfortunately, she caught him before he had made it halfway and told him he needed to stay in the class during the attack.

"But Miss Bustier, I feel really sick. I think I need to go to the nurse's office," he said, clutching his stomach and groaning dramatically.

"Well... okay, Adrien," Miss Bustier said, concerned, "but I want you to go straight there. Do you need someone to go with you?"

"No, no. I can manage on my own," Adrien responded, quickly moving for the door. Once he was outside, he started to run, transforming once he was in a safe spot.

Miss Bustier had finally managed to get the class to sit, but she knew there was no point in continuing the lesson. It was also too dangerous to let them go home. Instead she sat quietly at her desk, waiting for any further news.

Alya was back to watching the live-stream on her phone. Ladybug had finally shown up to the fight, followed a minute later by Chat Noir. They were doing their best to move the akuma away from the school but they weren't very successful; it was slowly drawing closer. Alya was so engrossed in watching the fight, she didn't even notice Marinette was missing at first. It was only when she turned to ask her something that she realised.

She stood up and looked around the room. "Has anyone seen Marinette?" she asked. Everyone looked around before shaking their heads. No one had noticed her leave.

"When did you last see her?" Miss Bustier asked urgently.

Alya thought for a moment. "It was before Adrien left," she said, "I don't think she knows the akuma is coming this way."

Miss Bustier got up and told the class, "I'm going to check if Marinette is safe. Everyone stay in your seats until I get back." She left quickly, the door slamming shut in her haste.

"Maybe she went with Adrien to the nurse's office," Nino suggested, trying to lighten the mood. Alya's response was cut off by a deafening roar from right outside.

Suddenly, Ladybug was thrown through the classroom window, and slammed into the wall opposite. Her head and back took the full force, her right earring falling out from the impact. She slumped forwards, too dazed to move.

Everyone stood up in surprise to look at the superhero. Alya grabbed her phone and moved closer to the front of the room to record Ladybug, but Nino stopped her from moving past the front row of desks.

The noises from outside grew more distant, which was a relief to everyone. With the danger gone for the moment, Alya turned to Nino and tried to pull her arm free. She paused when she heard the sound of crunching glass.

A worried Chat Noir landed on the broken windowsill and scanned the classroom. He didn't even notice the small earring rolling slowly towards him. His focus was on Ladybug at the opposite end of the room, who still hadn't moved from where she landed.

Alya changed her camera's focus to him. The rest of the students continued to watch him, too shocked to do anything else.

Chat Noir sighed in relief when Ladybug shifted in her position. She mumbled something too quiet for him to hear as she slowly looked up at him.

He noticed her transformation was coming apart, parts of her civilian clothes appearing. As he moved towards her, he noticed her mask was beginning to disappear too. He tried to get his legs to move faster; he knew he only had a short time before her identity would be exposed.

"Nino, let go," Alya whispered as Nino pulled her further from the two heroes. "We can finally find out who Ladybug is."

Chat Noir realised Alya was standing there recording Ladybug, whose secret was moments from being exposed. He quickly grabbed Alya's phone, cracking the screen and bending the case with his grip.

"Hey! What the hell?" Alya yelled, outraged.

Chat Noir looked down at the now broken phone then tossed it back to her. "Sorry," he said insincerely.

Ladybug looked at her disappearing costume and moved her hands to cover her face in an attempt to protect her identity. She called out to Chat Noir, her voice barely audible, "Chat, my earring."

That snapped him out of it. He looked around the floor and spotted the earring hidden near one of the front desks.

Ladybug's transformation was slipping faster than anyone anticipated. By now, over half of her civilian clothes were visible, and the classmates could clearly see the similarities between what she was wearing and the ones Marinette was wearing that morning. Whispers broke out from the students.

When Ladybug tried to move, she experienced a sudden wave of dizziness that made her fall to the side. Instinctively, she used her arms to break the fall. She shook from exertion as she tried to push herself up to a seated position. Alya's broken phone dropped from her hands and smashed to the floor. "Oh my God, Marinette?"

Chat Noir spun around fast, earring in hand. At this point Ladybug's costume was completely gone. He watched, unmoving, as Alya ran over to Marinette and helped her sit up properly. Marinette flinched away from her gaze, but knew there was no way to hide her identity now. Alya carefully checked her head for injuries, and was thankful when she didn't find anything wrong.

Marinette waved off Alya's concern and attempted to get up from her seated position. "I'm fine, Alya. I'm feeling a lot better now." Marinette _was_ looking more steady, but Alya could see that she was still struggling. She grabbed Marinette's upper arm and helped pull her up.

With Alya's help, Marinette managed to stand. She didn't bother to hide her face anymore, having already been seen by everyone, but avoided looking at her other classmates.

She looked over to Chat Noir who was still standing in the same place as earlier, his eyes comically wide as he stared.

"...Marinette?" he finally asked.

"Chat, I need my earring," she said.

He didn't move. Another roar came and someone outside screamed.

"Chat! We really don't have time for this right now," Marinette said, stepping towards him. "The akuma's still out there." She grabbed the earring from Chat Noir's hand and put it back on, and moved slowly towards the window.

Alya halted her. "You can't go out there like this. You hit your head really hard, you might have a concussion," she said.

"I'll be fine, Alya," Marinette said. "I was just a bit dazed, but my suit protected me from most of the damage." Alya gave her a look. "I'll go to the nurse's office when the akuma's defeated."

Alya groaned in exasperation. "Fine, but you better not die out there."

Marinette cracked a small smile. "Thanks Alya."

Alya thought for a moment, then grinned widely, "And afterwards you'll get to spend some time with Adrien," she teased, making Marinette blush.

The sound of his name snapped Chat Noir back to reality, but he didn't have much time to process what Alya just said. The akuma was more important.

Marinette steeled herself before moving out of Alya's grasp, towards the broken window.

"Tikki, Spots On."

Chat Noir watched Ladybug leap out of the window, swinging from her yo-yo. All eyes turned to him. He gave a small wave to the students and then he left to fight alongside his partner.

* * *

AN: Feel free to give any thoughts or criticism on the fic if you feel up to it.


	2. Chapter 2

Ladybug jumped back into the fight with renewed vigor. She kept her focus solely on the akuma, pointedly ignoring the glances that Chat was giving her. He remained professional, though. Throughout the fight and while talking to the reporters afterwards, Chat stuck to his usual routine of cracking jokes and making bad puns.

Ladybug had a harder time acting normally. She stood completely still and silent, letting Chat field all the questions. At first no one noticed, but during a particularly 'funny' joke Chat was telling about the two of them, he made the mistake of putting an arm around her shoulder. Ladybug completely froze up and jerked away from him. The interview ended shortly after that.

She escaped quickly, soon finding herself on a secluded rooftop. She ran a shaky hand over her face. She could still hear the chatter of the crowd in the distance but it filled her with anxiety. Chat Noir landed behind her but kept his distance, wanting to give her space. For a while, neither one spoke. He stared at her back as the silence dragged on, waiting for her to say anything. Unable to handle it any longer, he took a step towards her. "Ladybug," he said. She flinched and moved to throw her yo-yo. "Please, wait."

Ladybug paused and looked over at him, avoiding his gaze. "Chat, I- I can't do this." She closed her eyes, struggling to think of what to say. With no akuma to distract her, she wasn't even sure how she should react. She took a deep breath, letting it out as she turned to look at him. "I think I need some time, some space." She fiddled with her yo-yo.

"Okay," he said, taking a step back and nodding in acceptance. "Okay, take as long as you need."

"Thank you, Chat." A small part of her brain had worried he would push the issue, but she knew he would respect her boundaries. His face was filled with concern as she gave him one last look. She smiled at him and left, circling around to get back to the school while avoiding the crowds. She had no intention of going back to class, but she had promised Alya she would at least get her injuries checked.

* * *

She landed beside the steps to the front of the school and de-transformed. Tikki hovered in front of her. "Marinette," she started.

Marinette didn't want to have this conversation right now. She closed her eyes and slid to the ground, groaning in frustration. "Tikki," she whined.

Tikki sighed. "You can't avoid this conversation." She watched as Marinette slid even further down the wall, looking pitiful. She huffed. "Fine, we won't talk. But you still have to figure out where you want to go. You can't sit here forever."

Marinette tugged at a blade of grass. She tried to think but soon gave up. It was too much. Slowly she curled up, bringing her knees up under her chin. "Tikki, I'm scared."

Tikki's eyes softened. She flew over to her and rested a hand on her cheek. "It's okay, Marinette. Everything will be okay. We can even skip seeing the nurse if you want. We can go straight home and avoid this whole place."

Going home sounded great to Marinette, but she didn't want to break a promise to her best friend. And if she left it too late, she would have to face the students as they left for the day. She got up reluctantly and dusted off her pants. "Okay, I've decided. We'll see the nurse quickly then we'll go home."

Tikki agreed with the plan. She had been worried that Marinette would barricade herself in her room. "I'm proud of you, Marinette," she said. She caught the mixture of anxiety and exhaustion on Marinette's face. "But first, you might want to change your expression. You're going to make everyone worry if they see you like this."

"Right." Marinette rubbed her face, trying to massage it back to a natural smile. She shook her head a bit, psyching herself up. She looked marginally better, but it was still clear to anyone that she wasn't doing well. Tikki hid in her usual spot.

She peeked over the stairs to see if the coast was clear. Slowly, she made her way up the stairs and towards the nurse's office, watching for any signs of people. She was just about to open the door when she heard muffled talking from the other side. Looking through the glass, she saw the back of Miss Bustier. She appeared to be talking to Adrien. Marinette ducked down so she wouldn't be seen.

"Tikki," Marinette hissed. "What do I do? Adrien's in there, and Miss Bustier."

Her purse opened and Tikki popped her head out. "I don't think they know. I don't remember seeing them in the classroom." Marinette paused in her panic and thought back. Now that she mentioned it, she hadn't seen either of them.

Suddenly, Miss Bustier's voice sounded through the door. "I never would have expected this behaviour from you. Sneaking out of the nurse's office during an attack. What if you were hurt?"

Adrien's voice sounded apologetic. "I'm sorry. I heard someone out in the courtyard and I wanted to make sure they were alright."

A pause. "Adrien," Miss Bustier's voice was more gentle now. "That's very noble of you, but you can't go risking your safety like that. You need to let the professionals take care of it."

Marinette's stomach twisted. If her teacher knew what she was doing just moments ago… How hurt she could have been.

In the distance, she heard a door opening and her eyes snapped up to the noise. A student was walking her way. They were too far away to see who it was, but Marinette couldn't risk it. Making up her mind, she quickly stood and ducked inside.

As the door swung shut behind her, she found herself facing Adrien and Miss Bustier. Adrien's face briefly flickered with an emotion she couldn't place, then switched back to mild surprise. Miss Bustier was the first to say something. "Marinette," she said in relief. "Where have you been? You weren't in the classroom. I've been looking for you everywhere."

Marinette knew she should feel guilty about making her worry, but she now knew there was at least one person who didn't know. That thought alone was a huge relief. She tried to think of an excuse off the cuff but her eyes were drawn to Adrien sitting there. He had put his head down, the picture of a scolded child.

"Oh, um," she fumbled her excuse. She managed to drag her eyes away from Adrien and onto the teacher. "I left to go to the bathroom, but when I heard the akuma coming closer I decided to hide." She attempted her most guilt-ridden look she could manage. Miss Bustier eyed her up, trying to see if she was lying.

Marinette glanced back at Adrien and noticed he was peeking up at her from the corner of his eye with that same look again. When her eyes met his, he quickly looked back down at his lap. He had been staring at her for some time now, and the thought made her shift uncomfortably.

Did he know? Everyone else in the class knew. Someone could have slipped up and told by now. Maybe that's why he was staring. Maybe everyone knew. Her breathing became more erratic and she was struck with an overwhelming urge to run away. She eyed the door.

"-nette? Marinette?" Miss Bustier called again and placed a hand on her arm. She snapped out of her thoughts and realised Miss Bustier had been talking to her.

Miss Bustier looked at her now pale face with concern. "Are you feeling okay?" She guided her to the seat next to Adrien. "Why don't you sit down. You don't look very well."

Marinette nervously sat next to Adrien, all too aware of his presence. She decided to just focus on responding to her teacher. One issue at a time. "I think I'd just like to go home."

"I'll call your parents," Miss Bustier said. "But first, I'm going to have the nurse check up on you, okay? Just to make sure you're alright." Marinette nodded in response. It was hard to concentrate when Adrien was now openly staring at her out the corner of her eye. She refused to look back at him. Instead, she closed her eyes and focused on taking deep breaths to calm herself.

Then they were left alone. Marinette squirmed, feeling his eyes on her. She was growing more certain that he knew. Why else would he be acting this way? She chanced a quick look at him and he smiled at her. "I'm glad you're okay, Marinette. I was worried when Miss Bustier said she didn't know where you went."

Marinette couldn't help but smile in response. He was worried about me, she thought, her previous worries temporarily forgotten.

Adrien opened his mouth to say something else but couldn't seem to find the words. Whatever he wanted to say was interrupted by the nurse bustling into the room to check on them. She went straight to Marinette. "Were you hurt at all?" she asked.

Marinette's thoughts were still jumbled. She wanted to say that she was fine, but her promise to Alya crossed her mind. "Um, I did hit my head a bit when I went to hide," she said, touching the back of her head. "But, it doesn't hurt anymore."

The nurse looked her over and asked her a few more questions. She seemed satisfied with her health and smiled reassuringly at Marinette. "Well, you don't appear to have any injuries, but I still want you to rest at home for the day. I'll let your parents know what happened so they can keep an eye on you overnight." She left again, passing Miss Bustier on the way out.

"I've called both your parents to come pick you up," Miss Bustier said. "Now, I still have to check up on the other students, so I need you two to stay here until your parents come. No sneaking off, either of you," she warned. With that, she went out the front door and left them alone again.

Neither knew what to say, so they remained silent. Adrien continued to sneak glances at her from the corner of his eye, a light blush on his cheeks. Marinette didn't notice. Now that she had spent some time around him, she didn't think he knew; he was too calm around her. With that thought gone, her other worries were creeping back. Everyone else still knew. She nervously tapped her foot on the floor as she watched the window. Every minute spent at school increased the chances of someone finding her.

They waited in silence until Marinette's parents opened the door. The moment they came inside, Sabine made a beeline for her and scooped her up into a hug. "Are you okay? I was so worried," she said, checking her over for injuries.

"I'm fine mama. I just feel a little tired from the attack." It wasn't a lie. She did feel tired, exhausted even, but more from the effort of trying to act normal. She tried to put on a smile for them, to ease their minds but it wasn't very successful. Her mother frowned in concern, her eyebrows knitted together. She tutted quietly, but decided not to comment on her daughter's haggard appearance.

Marinette shifted under her mother's gaze. She knew that eventually she would be interrogated by them, there was no avoiding that. But she preferred it to happen at home, not right now in front of Adrien. She had hoped they could leave quickly once they arrived, but they didn't seem to be in any sort of rush.

Tom had been watching her with obvious concern on his face since they arrived. Although, hearing her say she was fine did allow him to relax a little. His attention eventually shifted to Adrien, eyeing him up and down for injuries.

Sabine looked ready to say something when the nurse walked back in, having noticed their arrival. She greeted them and went through what happened and explained how to look after Marinette overnight. Tom and Sabine listened intently as she spoke and then thanked her as she left.

Tom finally decided to voice his thoughts. He leaned down next to Adrien. "Are you alright?" he asked. "Did you need a ride home?"

"Oh, no thank you. My driver will be picking me up," Adrien replied with a polite smile. Their kindness always caught him off guard, even though he knew what wonderful people they were.

Marinette took a step towards the door, hoping her parents would take the hint, but they didn't. It seemed they had no intention of leaving yet.

Sabine wrapped an arm around Marinette to stop her from edging further towards the door. "Well, we'll stay here until they arrive," Sabine said.

Marinette was dreading this. She knew her parents were too kind to leave Adrien alone after this but she was not up for this today. Her shoulders slumped in defeat as she closed her eyes, wishing she could just be at home.

Adrien looked over at Marinette's comically exaggerated pose and stifled a smile. "It's okay, really," he said to Sabine. "My driver will be here soon. I think you should take Marinette home. She hasn't been feeling too well."

Marinette smiled at him in gratitude. He was always so thoughtful. Her smile stretched on for a bit too long and she giggled in embarrassment. He laughed along with her.

"Well, if you're sure. It was good seeing you, Adrien," Tom said, placing a hand on his daughter's shoulder as they turned to leave.

Adrien smiled at him. "It was good seeing you, too." Turning his attention to Marinette, he said, "Goodbye, Marinette. I hope you feel well enough to come to school tomorrow."

She nodded enthusiastically at him, an automatic response. After she realised what she agreed to, she winced at her behaviour. "Yeah, hopefully I'll feel well enough by then," she said. She waved goodbye at him, stopping only once her parents had gently pulled her out of the room.

"He's so considerate," Sabine said once the door closed behind them. "It's no wonder you like him."

The sound of the door closing snapped her out of her daze and back to the present. The smile slid from her face and she glanced around nervously. The coast was still clear. She looked back at her mother and realised she still hadn't answered her. "Yeah, he's really nice," she said absently. She began pushing her parents towards the exit, checking around periodically for anyone she knew.

Sabine frowned at her daughter's reaction and shared a worried look with Tom. Her behaviour was very worrying. She didn't even react to their gentle teasing. Even being next to her crush didn't provide much of a distraction. All they could do was hope she would be back to her usual self soon.


	3. Chapter 3

While walking home, Marinette couldn't stop the anxiety rising in her chest. Stepping out onto the streets, she could see people everywhere. Many of them watched curiously as she continued to drag her parents towards the bakery.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Sabine began fussing over her. "Are you sure you're alright, Marinette?" she asked, reaching out to move her daughter's hair from her face.

Marinette stepped out of her mother's reach. "I'm fine, really," she said. Realising her behaviour was out of place, she tried to smile to alleviate their concerns. Her efforts only made them look more worried though, and she soon stopped.

Tom stood next to Sabine, putting an arm around her shoulder. "Okay," Tom said. "But if you want to talk, we're here for you." Sabine nodded in agreement.

"Thank you, Papa." Marinette gave him a quick hug, hoping it would reassure him enough to let her leave. When they didn't move to stop her, she started to go towards the stairs to her room. She had one foot on the stairs when her phone went off. At first she considered answering, but decided against it. She had seen the messages piling up since she left the classroom, and she was in no hurry to talk to any of them. Continuing up the stairs, she ignored the call.

"Aren't you going to get that?" Sabine asked. "It could be one of your school friends."

Marinette grimaced at the thought. "I don't think I'm up for talking to anyone right now. I think I'm just going to rest for a bit." She made her way up to her room. Tom and Sabine shared a concerned look. They never knew her to act that way before. It was obvious to them that there was more to the story than they were being told.

As Marinette closed the trap door to her room, her phone rang again. She fished it out of her purse and turned it off, throwing it into a corner. Tikki watched silently as she began to pace around the room. On her turn back towards the trap door, Marinette couldn't take the silence anymore. She rounded on Tikki. "Aren't you going to say something?"

Tikki was startled by her outburst. "Marinette, it's okay," she said in a calming manner, trying to reassure her.

"What? It's not okay, Tikki! Everyone saw me. They're going to tell everyone and I'll have to stop being Ladybug. Then Hawk Moth will come after me and family. Tikki, this is the worst thing that could have happened."

"Marinette," Tikki tried again. "They're your friends, they're not going to say anything. They would never do that to you."

Marinette looked over at her phone as if to make a point. Tikki followed her line of sight and sighed. "I'm sure they're just worried about you. They know how difficult this must be. You have to have faith in them." Marinette groaned in frustration, falling onto her chair. She stayed in that position for a while, not moving, as Tikki waited patiently nearby.

Marinette tried to find ways to pass the time. She couldn't bear to watch TV or look online in case she saw the news reporting on her. So instead, she dragged her homework out and hoped that time would pass that way. It didn't work though. No matter how hard she tried, images of how the next few days would play out circled in her mind. Everyone at her school staring at her as she walked up the stairs, people bombarding her family's bakery, Hawk Moth coming in through her window while she slept…

Her room suddenly seemed too open, leaving her feeling exposed. She made her way up to her bed, locking the trap door along the way and curled up under the blankets. She felt Tikki's weight as she settled on the pillow next to her head. Marinette turned her head and watched her kwami's resting figure. Closing her eyes, she prayed that the whole day was just a horrible nightmare.

Throughout the afternoon and evening, her parents made several visits up to her room. Each time they offered to stay she would decline, preferring to be left alone. Alya also made several calls to their house, asking about Marinette's well being.

Tikki was worried about her distancing herself from her loved ones. She tried to convince Marinette to spend time with her family but got no response. After several unsuccessful attempts Marinette turned to face the wall, choosing to ignore Tikki entirely.

Marinette knew that hiding herself in her room wasn't a great choice. Even her best friend was worried about her and yet she couldn't bring herself to answer a simple phone call. She wasn't sure she could ever face Alya again. After all the times she had lied about her identity and deceived her, there was no way she wouldn't feel betrayed. This would be just another reason for Alya to hate her. Tears blurred her vision before she could stop them and dripped down her face onto the pillow.

It was some time before anyone disturbed her again. There was a small knock on the trap door, almost too quiet for Marinette to hear over the sounds of her own sniffling. She expected one of her parents to come up like they normally did but no one entered. Just as she thought they had given up for the night, there was another knock, louder this time.

"Marinette?" a voice called out. It was Alya. She knocked again and slowly opened the trap door, peeking into the room. The room was dark, almost too dark to see. As she looked around, Alya didn't notice Marinette at first. Only when she looked up towards the bed did she see a lump under the blankets.

"Alya…" Marinette's reply sounded choked, her voice hoarse from crying. Alya finished climbing up into the room and shut the trap door behind her. When she didn't hear any objections, she carefully made her way up the ladder towards the bed. She paused at the second to last step and waited nervously.

After a moment, the mass of blankets shifted and Marinette's head popped out of the far end. Her hair was a mess, her eyes red and puffy from crying. She sniffed. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

Alya couldn't stop her eyes from welling up with tears. "I am so sorry, Marinette," she said. "I was completely awful to you today, and I understand if you don't want to be friends anymore. But, I-"

"What!" Marinette sat upright, the blankets falling to a heap on her lap. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Alya, I'm the one who should apologise. I lied to you all this time-"

"But you had a reason for it." Alya said as she looked away, unable to look her in the eyes any more. "I just wanted a scoop for my blog."

"Alya-"

"I almost exposed your identity to everyone. If Chat Noir hadn't stopped me…" She couldn't bear to finish that thought. Tears streamed down her face and she quickly wiped them away. "I'm a terrible friend."

Marinette crawled over to her and wrapped her up in a tight hug. When they pulled away, she rested her hands on Alya's shoulders. Her voice was thick with emotion. "No, Alya. You're my best friend, and you're great at it. I'm so glad you're here."

Alya smiled from the praise, wiping the tears from her face once again. "I'm so lucky to have you," she said.

* * *

When Alya managed to convince Marinette to leave her bed, they ended up on the chaise lounge. They sat in comfortable silence for a while, with Marinette resting her head on Alya's shoulder.

"No one has… told anyone, have they?" Marinette asked, lifting her head to look at Alya.

"Miss Bustier knows," Alya said. She glared at the wall as she spoke. She wasn't happy with how things had turned out. "She figured it out from everyone's gossiping."

Marinette felt sick. She never wanted anyone to know, and now the choice was being taken away from her. She tried to reassure herself that it could have been worse, but it wasn't helping.

Alya kept talking, trying to ease her concerns. "No one else knows, and you know Miss Bustier would never tell. She knows how dangerous that would be." Marinette smiled a little at that. She had a great teacher. Alya shifted uncomfortably. "And… we were thinking," she said slowly. "Maybe you should tell Adrien."

It took Marinette a moment for Alya's words to sink in. Telling Adrien was the last thing she wanted. Only hours ago she was worried that he already knew her secret, and now she was supposed to just go out and tell him? The idea was almost laughable.

"Listen, Marinette," Alya said. "I know it sounds bad to tell even more people, but Adrien's a smart guy. He's going to figure it out eventually, especially since everyone else in class knows." The reminder of what happened was like a slap in the face, making Marinette feel sick. She wished she could end the conversation and get back into bed. Alya noticed the change in her mood. "I shouldn't have brought that up. I'm sorry. Forget I said anything."

"No, you're right," Marinette said. She took a deep breath. "I need to tell him eventually. I might as well get it out of the way." Her mind went back to their conversation in the nurse's office. His reaction was just so different than usual. She picked at the hem of her shirt as she thought it over. "Are you sure he doesn't know?" she asked.

Alya shook her head. "He wasn't in the classroom when it happened, and I made sure no one would talk." She cracked her knuckles menacingly. That got a giggle out of Marinette.

"But he was acting so weird today. I mean, he kept staring at me and…" Marinette trailed off, seeing Alya's excited expression.

"What! When was this?" Alya asked.

Marinette felt very uncomfortable with her friend's reaction. "Um, today in the nurse's office. He kept looking at me. For a while, I thought for sure he knew."

"Oh my God! Maybe he likes you," Alya said, the excitement rising in her voice. "This is all the more reason to tell him! No one could resist a superhero."

Marinette pulled a face. "I don't want him to like me because of that."

Alya rolled her eyes. "Then I'm afraid you're out of luck, because no one could resist your heroic charm." She did an exaggerated hero pose to emphasize her point. Looking over, she caught the sight of Marinette's unimpressed face that left her in a fit of giggles.

Marinette slumped down in her seat, although she couldn't quite keep the smile from her face. She knew that Alya had a point about telling Adrien, but that didn't make it any easier.

It took Alya a minute to stop laughing. "So, what are you going to say to him?" Alya asked, getting back to a more serious topic.

Marinette thought for a moment but no ideas came to her. She turned pleading eyes onto her friend. Alya always knew what to say in any situation. "Could you do it for me?" she begged. "I know how much he admires Ladybug. I don't want to disappoint him, or say the wrong thing."

Alya looked pointedly at her. "He called you our 'everyday Ladybug'. He's not going to be disappointed." Alya leaned over and poked Marinette's leg, "It needs to be you who does it."

Marinette sank further down the seat, almost falling off, and scrunched up her face. "I know," she whined. That didn't mean she wanted to do it, though. She watched as Alya went over to the computer and grabbed out the game controllers. While she waited, Marinette wandered over and grabbed her phone from the floor. She stared at the blank screen, debating over whether to check her messages.

Alya saw what she was doing and frowned. "Put that thing down. It's just the two of us tonight. No one else is invited." Marinette laughed and obediently put down the phone, turning her attention to the game. Alya slept over that night. They continued to play games late into the night until eventually they both fell asleep.

When Marinette woke up the next morning, she almost forgot the horrors of yesterday. It hit her soon enough however, and she groaned loudly at the memory. Slowly, she sat up from the floor, her body aching from her poor choice of bed.

"Morning, sleepyhead," Alya's voice called out. Alya was sitting comfortably in front of the computer, scrolling through a website. "You'll be glad to know there is zero mention of what happened yesterday, anywhere," she said with a smile.

Marinette's whole body sagged in relief. She didn't realise how much she needed to hear that. She quickly glanced at where her phone sat, untouched. "And I'm sure if you checked your messages, they would all be supportive," Alya said knowingly.

Marinette shook her head. "I can't deal with that right now."

"Fair enough. Come on, your parents have breakfast for us downstairs."

* * *

Back up in her room, Alya was all dressed for school. "Are you sure you won't go?" she asked again, checking her reflection in the mirror.

Marinette looked down at the floor, wringing her hands together nervously. She really did want to go with Alya, but having to face everyone made her feel so exposed. "I don't know. I…"

"Don't stress it, girl. You don't have to go. Your parents already okayed you staying home. But if you change your mind, I'll be there with you the whole time."

Marinette smiled a bit. "Thanks, Alya."

Alya's thoughts drifted off as she finished getting ready. "I still can't believe it's you," Alya said. Marinette was embarrassed by the sudden awe in her voice. "I even have a blog about you." A thought struck her and Alya turned around to face her friend. "Can I interview you?"

The idea made Marinette a bit nervous but she couldn't say no to her best friend. "Of course you can," she giggled.

"Tonight?" Alya asked excitedly.

Marinette's face dropped. "Oh, I have, um, patrol tonight," she said. The words seemed strange coming from her civilian self. It would take a while for her to get used to talking about her superhero life. "But I can call you tonight…" Marinette suggested. Alya raised an eyebrow at her expectantly. "Oh," Marinette said, once she realised.

"Yeah, no phone." Alya started to grin. "Well, make sure to tell Chat Noir that he owes me a new one." She opened up the trap door and waved goodbye, before disappearing down the stairs.

Marinette paced around the room a bit, still weighing her options. Tikki came out of her hiding place and watched her. When Marinette noticed, she paused and asked, "Tikki, do you think I should go today?"

"I think it's up to you. But you do have to go back eventually."

"Ugh, you're right. But what if-" she said, sounding slightly hysterical.

Tikki interrupted her. "Marinette, they're good people, and Alya will be there with you the whole day. She told you that herself. If it gets too much for you to handle, you can always leave."

Marinette sighed deeply and moved over to her dresser, grabbing her things. "Okay, Tikki. I'll go."


	4. Chapter 4

"You're going to be late," Tikki said. Marinette paused in the middle of redoing her pigtails for the third time and pulled a face. Turning her back on the mirror, she gave Tikki a small nod. The first class of the day was with Miss Bustier, and that was the class she was dreading the most. The thought of seeing everyone seemed like such an overwhelming prospect for her, but she knew she had to get it over with.

Picking up her bag, she made her way downstairs. As she passed her parents on the way out, she gave them a small smile. They each gave her a quick hug and wished her a good day. It was a relief for them, seeing Marinette looking happier after some time with Alya.

As Marinette began walking down the street towards the school, she began to have second thoughts. The reality of it all was catching up to her, and she realised she would now have to face everything that happened. She clutched the strap of her bag tight as her steps started to slow.

"It's okay Marinette," Tikki said, coming out to hover in front of her. "We're all here for you." Marinette smiled gratefully. It didn't do much to ease her nerves, but the thought was comforting in its own way.

As she peeked into the school courtyard, she was relieved to find it empty. Still, she sneaked around until she made her way up to the classroom, hiding near the door so no one could see her. When she didn't move to go inside, Tikki gave her a gentle nudge of encouragement. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door.

There was silence at first as everyone looked around to see who it was. Marinette locked eyes with Alya whose face lit up with joy at the sight of her. "Marinette," she called out. That was all it took to break the silence. Questions seemed to explode from everywhere at once, rooting Marinette in place. The sudden noise was too much for her, and she realised that she was way out of her depths.

Miss Bustier quickly raised her voice to silence the students. "Everyone, quiet please. This is no way to act towards a fellow student." When everyone was silent once more, Miss Bustier made her way over to Marinette, bending down to eye level to quietly ask, "Are you alright, Marinette? No one would fault you for taking the day off."

Marinette gave her a weak smile. "It's okay. I want to be here, and Alya said she would look out for me." Alya sat up straighter to look more imposing to the others, making Marinette crack a smile.

Someone snorted in amusement. "As if she can't look out for herself," Kim said. Alya turned around and glared at him until he stopped talking.

Miss Bustier chuckled. "Well, okay. But I want you to tell me if anyone says or does anything."

Marinette nodded. Happy with the outcome, Miss Bustier moved to let Marinette get past. Her movements were slow as she made her way to her seat. She could feel the stares of her classmates, although she was unable to make eye contact with anyone.

The moment she sat down, Alya leaned over and hugged her. "I'm glad you made it." Having Alya on her side was a huge relief. It made the idea of dealing with everything a bit more tolerable. It wasn't long, however, before some people couldn't hold in their questions.

Kim was the first to crack. "How strong are you?" he asked suddenly. Everyone waited for an answer. "I mean, I know you're pretty strong as a hero. But are you strong outside the suit too? Can I fight you? Are-"

Alya stood up quickly, cutting him off. "Kim, stop. You're overwhelming her." Marinette smiled gratefully. "And she would win anyway, she's Ladybug," Alya finished off, her eyebrows raised to make a point.

Marinette decided to dispel some of the rumours. "I'm actually not that strong outside the suit," she said apologetically. She knew Kim would have been looking forward to having a strong opponent. He looked visibly disappointed at her admission.

"You could still fight her in the suit," Ivan suggested. Kim perked up at the thought.

Marinette couldn't help but laugh at that. "You definitely wouldn't win that fight." The class joined in on her laughter, the imagery very clear in their minds.

"If you're ever up for it," Alix said, "I'd love to race you one day."

"Yeah, we could probably do that," Marinette replied. She wasn't confident she could win against Alix, though unless she was in her suit.

A few students moved closer to hear better, forming a loose circle around her. One exception being Chloé, who had refused to look at Marinette ever since she arrived, and Sabrina, who sat reluctantly next to her friend, sneaking peeks at Marinette whenever she thought Chloé wasn't looking.

More questions started up from all around Marinette, blurring together until she couldn't pick out any single voice from the crowd. "Ugh." Chloé's disgust was heard from the sea of noise. She crossed her arms, finally glancing over at Marinette with a sour look on her face. "I can't believe I admired her," she said, turning away to face Sabrina. Alya looked furious.

"Does this mean we won't be playing superheroes tonight?" Sabrina asked quietly. That surprised everyone. The memory of Chloé in a Ladybug suit made Marinette cringe.

"Is she for real?" Alya whispered in disbelief. Marinette had to stifle a giggle at her reaction.

"Don't be ridiculous," Chloé said to Sabrina, pouting. She lowered her voice so she was talking under her breath. "Of course we are."

"I still can't believe it's you. You're my favourite superhero." Nathaniel's eyes shone with admiration as he spoke. The intensity of his words caused Marinette to blush in embarrassment. She wasn't used to people acting this way towards her.

"You're really amazing, Marinette," Juleka said. "Even before we found out. You're always so helpful to everyone. It's why we look up to you." Everyone nodded in agreement. Marinette couldn't believe how nice everyone was being to her. All of her anxiety had been for nothing; her classmates, her friends, had her back.

Alix studied her. "You know, it's kind of weird that no one figured you out. I mean, you do have a habit of running off whenever an akuma appears. You even look the same as her." Marinette looked around the room, and saw everyone looking her over calculatingly. This level of scrutiny was too much for Marinette, and she looked pleadingly at Miss Bustier to step in.

Max, however, was oblivious to her plight. "I'm surprised no one has noticed the similarities before, though," he said. "After all, you have a ninety-"

"Okay," Miss Bustier interrupted, clapping her hands to get everyone's attention. "I think that's enough for now. We still have to start class."

Everyone reluctantly went back to their seats and waited for Miss Bustier to start the lesson. Before she could begin, there was a knock at the door. Miss Bustier sighed at yet another interruption. The class was silent as she opened the door.

A student from another class came in to speak with Miss Bustier. At the sight of a stranger in the classroom, all sense of calm left Marinette. Any moment now, someone could say the wrong thing and it would be over. She sat completely still, straining to hear what they were saying. When the student finally left, Marinette sighed in relief.

Alya gave her a look of exasperation. "Jeez, Marinette. Relax. No one's going to find out just by walking into the room."

"I know that," Marinette said defensively. It still took her some time to calm down though. Eventually, her thoughts drifted to Adrien. He still wasn't here yet, which was a relief. But, how would he react once he found out? Would he still want to be her friend, even though she had lied to everyone all this time? She knew how much he hated liars. But, there was no way he could hold this against her, right? Unless…

Her spiralling thoughts ground to a halt as the door to the classroom opened again and Adrien himself walked in, pausing in the entranceway to apologise for being late. Marinette froze in her seat, wondering if it was a terrible idea to tell him after all. The internal debate made her miss the nervous looks Adrien was giving her.

Miss Bustier smiled at him. "Adrien, please have a seat. We're just about to start."

He couldn't help but glance over at Marinette again as he sat down. It caught him off guard seeing her up close without a mask; he had almost convinced himself that it was all a strange dream. Remembering his manners, he politely said hello to her. When she spoke and Ladybug's voice came out, he wondered how he never noticed before. He found it incredible to have been sitting right in front of his partner all this time.

Alya nudged Marinette, looking expectantly over at Adrien. It was now or never.

"Okay everyone, settle down," Miss Bustier called out. "It's about time we start today's lesson."

Marinette frantically shook her head at Alya; now was not the right time. "I'll do it after class," she whispered. Alya accepted it with a sigh.

The class dragged on, no one really listening to what was being said. Marinette was going through all the reactions Adrien could have when she finally told him. It didn't help that she couldn't find the right words to say. Would he even believe her if she just said, "Hey, I'm actually Ladybug." She was so swept up in her thoughts that by the time Alya got her attention with an elbow to the side, half the class had already left.

Adrien was getting up to leave after slowly packing his things away. Alya raised her eyebrows at Marinette to hurry up and make her move. When she hesitated, Adrien finally began to move. In a panic, she leant over the desk and grabbed the back of Adrien's shirt, nearly tumbling over in the process. "Wait!" she shouted.

Marinette looked at Alya for guidance but she didn't provide any help, she was too busy shaking her head at her friend's antics. The few people who were left in the classroom watched on in excitement. "Are you going to tell him?" Kim asked.

Adrien looked at her in confusion. "Tell me what?" It was obvious to Adrien that everyone was in on something. The thought did cross his mind of it being related to the incident the day before, but he'd promised himself he wouldn't think about that.

The whole situation made Marinette feel very put on the spot, and she strongly considered backing out and trying another day. Alya sensed her hesitation and gave some encouragement. "Go for it, girl," Alya whispered to her. "Remember, there will never be a perfect time to say this."

Adrien looked at Marinette expectantly. Marinette wondered why she ever agreed to this. Why was she telling him again? Shutting her eyes, she took a deep breath to prepare herself.

"Just say it already!" yelled Kim.

"Yeah, it's not that hard to say that you're-"

"I'm Ladybug!" Marinette blurted out, then cringed.

Adrien never imagined she would just up and tell him, so much so that he didn't even know how to respond. Instead, he said the only thing that came to his brain. "What?"

Marinette couldn't look him in the eye while she explained, so she stared intently at the desk. She didn't want to see how he was reacting, if he even believed it all. "Everyone else in class found out yesterday during the attack. Since you're the only person in class who doesn't know, I thought it would be fair to tell you personally before you had a chance to figure it out yourself. But no one else can know, under any circumstances, okay?" When she managed to look, he had his dazzling modelling smile on.

"Wow, Marinette. That's amazing. I've always thought you were incredible." Adrien's cheeks went red when he realised what he said. He wondered if he went too far. Flustered, he walked over to the door without saying anything else, waiting for Nino to join him. They left quickly, Adrien whispering furiously into Nino's ear.

Marinette deflated. Oh God, he thinks I'm lying. He must hate me. He'll never talk to me again. Alya shook her out of it. "Calm down. He's probably just overwhelmed. Nino will talk to him." Marinette took a deep breath.

Whispers from the front of the classroom soon grabbed her attention. She looked up and found what was now her entire class, minus Adrien and Nino, staring expectantly at her. She stared back questioningly. When Alya noticed, she looked over at them then back at Marinette. "Oh, yeah. The whole class wants to get together to interrogate you."

Marinette sighed and started to pack her stuff up. "Yeah, I know," she said unenthusiastically. She got up and looked at her classmates. "Alright, come on." She ushered them out the door. "The sooner I answer all your questions, the sooner you'll get over this and go back to normal."

Alya squealed in excitement. "I'll get the boys!" she said as she rushed off ahead of them.

Marinette walked out of the school grounds, her whole class following behind her, watching her in wonder. She led them over to an empty section of the park, near the shade of the trees where no one was around.

Alya was already there, along with Nino and Adrien. Their seating arrangement forced Marinette and Adrien to sit next to each other. Once she sat down, everyone began chattering excitedly.

"Alright!" Alya shouted. "There are going to be some ground rules here. Number one, Marinette can choose not to answer any questions she doesn't want to. If you try to push her on any subject, you'll be kicked from the group. Number two, we all need to keep our voices down so no one overhears us. And number three, never tell anyone anything about this. Understood?" Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. Alya looked at Marinette for confirmation.

Marinette took a breath. Focusing on anyone but Adrien to distract herself. "Okay, I'm ready," she said, attempting a smile.

"Awesome! Me first, then," Alya said. "So, how did Chat Noir react?" The questions started pouring from the others.

"Did he know who you were?" Mylène asked.

People were already starting to talk over each other, making it hard for Marinette to focus. "No. We agreed to never tell each other," she said. "But he was always very respectful about it, especially once he found out."

"Your relationship with him sounds so lovely," Rose said dreamily. "Are you two together?"

Marinette's face felt like it was on fire. "What!? No, we're just friends," she insisted. Next to her, not noticed by anyone, Adrien's mood soured. It was never easy for him to hear that she didn't like him back.

Rose's shoulders dropped. "Oh, but you two are so perfect together."

Alix nudged her and held out her hand expectantly. Rose unhappily handed her a small trinket that Alix pocketed with a smug grin. The exchange made the group laugh. Although Marinette laughed along with them, she still felt a bit on edge.

"Hey," Alya said slyly, "don't you think Marinette and Adr-" Marinette gave her a look to silence her. She was not having this conversation in front of the whole class. Alya took the hint and sheepishly dropped the topic.

The mood lightened considerably after that. But, as the questions continued, Marinette's answers still remained short and stilted. She wasn't yet comfortable. Alya was the first to address this. "You know you can trust us, right? We're here for you." Everyone agreed. "The only person you should be worried about is Chloé," she joked.

Chloé huffed, offended. "Please, I would never do that to Ladybug."

"Thank you, Chloé," Marinette said sincerely.

"Ugh, whatever, Dupain-Cheng." Alya and Marinette shared a smile.

It did cheer Marinette up to know they were all supportive, which helped her relax a little. Although they continued to ask her slightly too invasive questions, they didn't push her to answer them.

* * *

Dusk had settled over the city before Marinette arrived back home, and she spent the time leading up to their patrol freaking out. She walked circles around her room, trying to burn off some of the excess energy in her body. She had no idea what to say to him, but she had to say something. If she didn't, he would keep his distance forever, out of niceness. It was up to her to make things go back to normal, or whatever normal was now.

Tikki noticed her agitated pacing and stopped her, resting a paw on Marinette's cheek. "Relax. He's your partner, Marinette. He won't think any differently of you."

"That's not what I'm worried about, Tikki," Marinette said as she gave up her pacing to lay down on the lounge.

Tikki looked at her curiously. "Then what are you worried about?"

"Because, Tikki," Marinette said, leaning up on her elbows. "He will want to reveal his identity too, and I-" She sighed. "I don't know." She let herself drop back onto the lounge, rubbing her face in frustration.

Tikki took a moment to consider her words. "It doesn't have to be that way. You've both grown a lot since you began. I'm sure Chat will understand if you want things to stay the same."

Marinette's voice was muffled beneath her hands. "But, I'm not sure if I want it to stay the same."

* * *

Chat Noir sat lazily on the edge of a roof, his feet dangling. At the sound of her arrival, he turned and smiled at her. At the sight of him, Ladybug felt her worries melting away. "Hey, Bugaboo," he said as she sat down next to him.

"Hey." She smiled back and leant against his shoulder. They looked out at the city. It was too dark to see much except the many specks of light that dotted the area. "I talked to everyone at school today," she said. Chat perked up at this. "They were really nice about it. Promised they wouldn't say anything to anyone." Chat smiled at that. He knew they were all good, trustworthy people.

Ladybug sat up suddenly, startling him. "Oh! I just remembered. You owe Alya an apology." Chat looked quizzically at her. "You broke her phone, remember?"

Chat's eyes grew wide in realisation. "Oh, right. I'll have to get her a new one then." That made Ladybug laugh, and she rested her head on his shoulder again.

Although she was relaxed, Chat was growing restless. He debated whether to bring up what happened yesterday. Eventually, he decided to go for it. He took a deep breath first to calm his nerves. "Ladybug, is it okay if I say something?" he asked. She looked up at him, considering for a moment before nodding. "I know this is a tough time for you. It's a lot to handle all at once, but… I just just wanted to say I'm glad it's you who is Ladybug. I don't think anyone else could have done it better."

When she didn't respond, he looked at her and saw her eyes were watery. "Chat," she said, sounding close to tears. She didn't know what to say to that. Hearing him say that was a huge relief. It was the best outcome she could have asked for.

Chat continued, fidgeting where he sat. "Look, I'm not going to ask you to change anything about our partnership. I know I used to be…" He trailed off, rubbing his neck at the thought of his pushiness in the past. He cleared his throat and continued. "But, it's up to you if you want things to change or stay the same. I'll support you one hundred percent."

Ladybug leaned into him, hugging him tightly. "Having your support means the world to me. But... I'm not really sure what I want right now."

He hugged her back, squeezing her shoulder. "Then we'll take it day by day."

"Thank you, Chat. For everything. You're the best partner I could have ever asked for, you know that, right?"

Chat puffed out his chest in an exaggerated manner. "Of course," he preened. "Only the best for my lady."

* * *

AN: Thank you for reading. I'm pretty happy to end the story here, even if there are things that could be continued, like CN's reveal. I might one day write more for this but I don't think it will happen any time soon. I've become kind of burnt out on this story, so I'm going to focus on other things I'm writing for now.


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